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Banned for Outdoor Use, yet Still Allowed for Use on Pets?

These chemicals are so toxic, they were banned - or at least restricted - for agricultural use. Yet the year after the complete ban of one of these chemicals, massive amounts were sold for the domestic pet market. Now, pets and the environment are paying the steep price.

flea and tick treatments

STORY AT-A-GLANCE

  • Imperial College London researchers warned that chemicals in flea and tick treatments, including imidacloprid and fipronil, are finding their way into U.K. rivers and ponds, where they may be disrupting ecosystems
  • Fipronil has been found to “degrade stream communities” even at low concentrations
  • Active ingredients from spot-on treatments, collars, tablets and chewables remain in pet’s skin, hair and excretions
  • It’s believed the chemicals are entering the environment when pets are bathed or animal waste is flushed down a toilet, among other routes of exposure
  • Urban areas tended to have the highest concentrations of pet flea and tick chemicals in their waterways, especially near wastewater treatment plants

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